Closure operating means



Nov. 6, 1951 J. M. c. ALTUBE 2,574,312

CLOSURE OPERATING MEANS Filed NOV. 18, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 ATTORNEY Nov. 6, 1951 J. M. c. ALTUB-EH 2,574,312

CLOSURE OPERATING MEANS Filed Nov. 18, 1947 2 SHEETS-ShEET 2 7 7 was 9 5 6 8 m I vs% I 6.. 1 \A 6 6 6 7 1/4 7 1 5/ 6 Ee 11a s 1 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES 2,574,312 CLOSURE OPERATING MEAN Juan Manuel Camani Altube, Rosario, Santa 'Fe, Argentina Application November 18, 1947, Serial No. 786,682 In Argentina July 29, 1947 -2 Claimsr (01. 1 60-206) This invention relates to closure operators, and more specifically to a mechanism for operating panels or slats to move them from a rectilinear position closing a window or door opening, to a collapsed or folded position at one' side of the opening so as to provide maximum clearance and at the same time arrange the panels or slats in a compact group; i

The object of the invention is to provide a structure including a series of closure member actuating units capable of folding or unfolding independently and successively in their opening or closing movements. In that connection, the invention resides in the provision of a plurality of arms and interconnected links supported for sliding movement in a guide or trackway when power or force is appropriately applied to one end of the connected units.

Another object is to provide several practical variations of the structure involved within the scope of the basic principles of the invention.

Preferred and practical embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of one end portion of a guide or track provided with interior bosses and notches in one wall thereof forming abutments which cooperate with the arm and link units in folding and unfolding.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view illustrating, in perspective, the several parts which comprise the arms and links.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of one end portion of the guide with an arm and link unit parallel with the guide.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the relation of the arm and link units to the guide when a unit nearest the side or jamb of the opening moves partially from its closed position to open position.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, partly in sec.- tion, illustrating a plurality of arms and links, some in completely folded or open position, another partially folded, and others still parallel with the guide.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional detail through the guide and one of the bearing lugs Whichslidably support one of the arm and link units in the guide.

Similar reference numerals represent corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring first to the embodiment of the-invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6,.inclusive, the arms I, which are arranged in end to end co-planar relation, are connected by links 2. The links 2 are provided at one end with a stud 3 for entering the opening 4 in the arm I, said opening being located in the middle. or substantially medial portion of the arm I. Thelink 2 is also proside of the guide 5 which, in the embodiment shown, is preferably of channel formation and closed at one end to provide an abutment wall 5a. The arms I and links 2 connected, as above described; are slida'bly supported in the guide" 5 on the substantially cylindrical bearing" lugs 6.

These lugs are fixed to the arms I at the location of and coaxially with the studs 3a of the links. The cylindrical bearing lug 6, as will be seen from Figs. 2, 3 and. 4, is cut away for half of its diameter over a portion of its length, as indicated at 6a, to provide travelling clearance for the lugs, as will presently appear;

Referring further to the arms I, it will be observed that each of the same is provided with an arcuate lifting cam 'l and a guiding cam 8. These cams are appropriately spaced on the same face of the arm and are intended to guide the arm in its swinging movement. That is to say, the arcuate cam l is intended to cooperate with a lifting abutment 9 secured to the inner face of one wall of the guide and. at the location of the first of a series of notches formed in the edge of said wall, the said notches providing. spaced guiding abutments I D and I I.

As will be seen from the relation of'parts shown in Fig; 2",v as compared with the relative positions thereof shown in Fig. 3, the arcuate lifting cam I is intended to engage with the lifting abutment 9 to initially tilt the arm on which cam I is mounted, and after angular movement of arm I is sufi icient to clear the abutment 9, the camt, having the curved surface I2, assumes the function of further guidin the arm I in its angular movement relative to the guide. As the cam- 8 rides through its related abutments I'D-II, the curved surface I2causes the gradual andluniform displacement of the arm as it moves to its full .angular limit.

As will be seenv from Fig. 4, asthe first arm of the series begins its angular movement, the hearing lugs G of the first arm I will move into'en'- gagement with the end wall 5a of the guide, and the bearing lugs of the next succeeding arm I will continue to travel in the guide due to the fact that the cut-away portions to of. the lugs ride beneath the bosses i l carried by the inner face of' the wall of the guide having thenot'ches forming: the abutment-s Hi, Ii. These bosses do not extend laterally throughout the widthof: the wall .to'which: they are attached, as will be seenfrom Fig. 1, and are located in spaced relation substantially inthe zone of the'notc'h'es between the abutments Iii and H. The said bosses are provided with arcuate 'seats for receiving the curved surface ill of the bear-ing lugs- 6, asthe arms I m'ovefrom' a position parallel with the guide to an angular position. It will be thus seen' that since bearing lugs 6 are cut away as indicated at 6'01, they will clear all bosses until each bearing lug is stopped-at the location'of"its-complementary arcuate seat in a'relatedboss It. That is to-say, the arms I- slide parallel to the guideuntil'" their bearing lugsencounter an abutment and then they start to turn. In the case of the first arm I, the abutment is the end wall 5a of the guide,

and in the case of succeeding arms, the bearing deflecting cam I encounters a deflecting abutment 9 and compels the arm I to swing upward, as shown by the arrow b. This displacement takes place through the guidance of cam I by abutment '9. When deflecting cam 1 is about to lose contact with its deflecting abutment 9, guiding cam 8 begins to move between the spaced abutments I0 and II, provided by one of the notches, and continues to guide the arm I upwardly. When guiding cam 8 is about to finish its operation, the curved surface I3 of bearing lug 6 contacts the arcuate seat of its related boss I4 to thus complete the operation of guiding arm I until the same has reached its folded unit position which,

as will be apparent from the drawings, is at right angles to the guide 5. It will, of course, be noted that the arcuate cam I is of greater width than the guiding cam 8, since the arcuate cam I first engages the deflecting abutment 9 to start the lifting movement, while the guiding cam 8 travels in the space between the bosses I4 and the area of the notched formation in the edge of guide 5.

Fig. 6 illustrates how the cut-away portions of the bearing lugs 6 permit the same to pass beneath the bosses I-i when the arm is in a position parallel with the guide. On the other hand, Fig. 4 shows that, when the arm I is slightly inclined, the curved surface I3 of the bearing lug 6 immediately contacts the curved seat of a related boss I4.

The operation above described occurs when the arms I are moving in a direction to open the door or window. It will also be understood that the arms I may support or carry panels or slats which form the actual closure for the opening. In other words, the arms I and their actuating parts, cooperate to move the elements constituting the closure.

When it is desired to close the opening, reversal of the movements above described takes place. That is to say, the force supplied to the link 2 of the last-folded arm causes the arm which is articulated thereto to turn on the axis of its bearing lug, which is the only movement permitted because surface I3 of the lug is still in contact with the arcuate seat of its related boss I4. This condition prevails until cam 8 passes back between abutments I 0 and II and cam 1 passes back over the deflecting abutment 9 and the arm I is again parallel with the guide. The bearing lugs 6 can then slide beneath the bosses I 4.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the invention includes, in its organization, a plurality of movable closure units comprising the arms I connected by links 2, the end of the link which connects with an end of an arm having secured thereto the offset cylindrical bearing lug 6 or its equivalent. The arms I interconnected and articulated by the links 2 are slidably supported by the bearing lugs for swinging movement from an aligned position to a side by side, folded position, as the arms are caused to move through the interengagement of cooperating cam and abutment means, respectively; on the movable unit and on the guide.

I claim:

1. A closure device, comprising, a channel type guide having an abutment at one end; a plurality of closure units movable toward and from said abutment and each unit including co-planar arms arranged end to end at the open side of the guide, and links each having one end pivoted to the medial portion of one arm and its other end pivoted to the adjacent end of a contiguous arm; means for supporting the units in the guide for slidable movement relative thereto from a position parallel with the guide to a position at right angles thereto, said supporting means comprising a cylindrical bearing lug secured to one end of each arm of a unit and extending into the open side of the guide, said lug mounted coaxially with the end of the link opposite the end thereof which connects with the medial portion of the arm, and cooperating cam and abutment means respectively on the movable unit and on the guide for swinging the end of the arm opposite the bearing lug away from the plane of the guide when a force is applied to one of the units.

2. A closure device, comprising, a channel type guide having a closed end wall, spaced abutments formed by notches in the edge of one wall of the guide, a deflecting abutment secured to the inner wall of the guide adjacent one of said notches, bosses also located on the inner face of said wall of the guide at spaced locations between said abutments and beyond said abutments toward the end wall of the guides, said bosses having inwardly facing arcuate seats; and a series of closure units including a plurality of co-planar arms arranged end to end at one side of the guide, means for supporting the arms in the guide for slidable movement relative thereto from a position parallel with the guide to a position at right angles thereto, said means, including, a link having one end pivoted to the medial portion of one arm and its other end pivoted to the adjacent end of a contiguous arm, a cylindrical bearing lug secured to said arm and mounted coaxially with the lastmentioned end of the link and slidably supporting the arm in the guide, said lug being cut away for half of its diameter over a portion of its length thereby to clear the said bosses as the arm slides parallel to the guide, an arcuate deflecting cam located near one end of the arm adapted to engage said deflecting abutment as the arm starts to slide in the guide, and a guide cam secured to the medial portion of the arm and adapted to engage between spaced abutments formed by said notches after the first cam disengages the lifting abutment, said cylindrical lug having a bearing in the arcuate seat of its related boss as the angular position of the arm increases relativeto the uide. JUAN MANUEL CAMANI ALTUBE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 688,590 Butterfield Dec. 10, 1901 1,351,844 Fairhurst Sept. 7, 1920 1,612,497 Dodge Dec. 28, 1926 1,945,729 Callender Feb. 6, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 497,374 Great Britain Dec. ,19, 1938 

